Runaway
by threwthelookinglass
Summary: No one has seen or heard from Evie Gibson in over six years. So when she returns to the small town of Bon Temps, she sparks quite an interest amongst the town's inhabitants. She even captures the attention of a certain Viking as well. Eric/OC
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer__: I do NOT own True Blood. I only own Evie and any other character that you don't recognize._

_Author's Note__: Hey everyone! This is my first shot at a True Blood fic. It's an idea I've had for awhile now so I decided to finally get it out there. Since I'm a fairly new writer, I would really appreciate it if you guys would review after you read, just so I know how I'm doing. Thanks!_

Prologue

I saw it before it happened, but I knew the vision didn't come soon enough. There was no way I would've been able to get there in time and I had no way to get a hold of anybody to warn them of the horror that was about to take place. The only thing I could do was buy a plane ticket and pray that I wouldn't be turned away because of my past actions.

But none of that mattered now.

The only thing that mattered was that she was dead, and the gut-wrenching guilt was so overwhelming, that it nearly brought me to my knees. She was one of the only people on this earth who loved me unconditionally. No matter what I did, or what I said, she was always there with a knowing smile and a warm piece of pie. Now, I realize how much I took her for granted while I was too busy wallowing in my own self pity to care.

My surroundings became unfocused as my eyes burned with unshed tears. Then, one by one, they began to fall, leaving fiery trails on my pale cheeks. Before I knew it, I was sobbing in the middle of a crowded airport terminal. I was early for my flight, which turned out to be a very dangerous thing since it gave me unwanted alone time with my memories. For the past several years, I made it a point not to dwell on the past. I had convinced myself that I wasn't who I used to be and that I would never be that person again. I was better than that now. Years ago, I severed all ties with my old life, including the people in it. I was afraid that if I stayed connected to them, I would somehow become that horrible person again. My fear had kept me away from the people I loved and now I was paying for it in the worst way.

After my flight was called for boarding, it took me several failed attempts before I was able to pull myself together and walk towards the correct gate. Once I was settled on the plane, I was left to deal with the years worth of regret that had formed into a painful knot in the pit of my stomach.

What's the worst thing about a loved one dying? All of the missed opportunities to tell that person all that you needed to tell them. There were so many things that I wanted to say to Gran, and now I would never get the chance. Most of all, I wanted to thank her for everything that she had ever done for me. After my parents… she took me in and took care of me, no questions asked, even though she already had two teenagers to take care of. And what did I do to thank her?

I ran away.

And got married.

God, my life was such a mess back then.

I shook my head to stop the memories from flooding my brain and instead focused on the view outside of the window.

Nothing special. Only clouds.

I decided to focus on something else to overpower the pain. Anger took its place.

Gran didn't die naturally or peacefully. She was murdered. She was viciously slaughtered in her own kitchen. By who? I don't know, I couldn't make out a face. What I did know, however, was that I was going to find whoever did this and when I did, he or she was going to wish for death. I was so lost in my thoughts of revenge that I didn't even notice that the flight was near its end until a flight attendant came by and sternly instructed me to buckle my seatbelt. After landing and a frustrating battle at baggage claim, I rented a car and I was on my way to Bon Temps, Louisiana in no time. My heart pounding wildly in my chest the whole time.

The drive was fairly uneventful, just a long stretch of monotonous highway. I was tempted, more than once, to turn the car around and head straight back to Dallas, but I owed it to Gran to find justice. This thought alone is what kept me going as I grew closer to the small town with each passing minute. As I continued on my journey, my thoughts drifted to the other important person I left behind when I ran away from my life. I didn't know if she would be happy to see me or not, but I would find out soon enough.

It was late afternoon when the 'Welcome to Bon Temps' sign came into my line of sight. I felt my stomach give a small lurch and I took a deep breath in order to control my nerves.

The town hadn't changed much at all. In fact, everything pretty much looked the same. It was as if the entire town was put on pause when I left, just waiting for my return. Obviously, I knew this wasn't true in the slightest. As I drove on, I eventually passed by Merlotte's, a bar/restaurant that had opened right before I left. I was happy to see that it was doing quite well for itself.

It wasn't long before I reached the familiar stretch of road that led to Gran's place, a wave of nausea hitting me as I made the sharp turn. I pushed it down as I approached the front porch, taking note of the two unfamiliar cars parked in the yard. I quickly parked, killed the engine and took three steadying breaths before getting out of the car and climbing the few steps leading to the porch. I reached the door and rang the doorbell. I only had to wait a few seconds before I heard someone turning the lock. As the door swung open, the person standing on the other side of the screen was not the person I expected, but I wasn't entirely surprised to see him either. He's silent for a moment before he roughly opens the screen door. I jumped back slightly, narrowly missing the door as it flew passed my face. Just as I'm about to open my mouth to speak, he interrupts me.

"What the fuck is you doin' here?"

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	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer__: I do NOT own True Blood. I only own Evie and any other character that you don't recognize._

**Chapter 1**

"What the fuck is you doin' here?"

I have to actively prevent myself from flinching at the less than welcoming words. Instead, I am able to keep my face clear of most emotion, not even a smile is present. I would be naïve to think that this reunion was going to be a happy one in any way shape or form. Maybe someday, but definitely not tonight.

"Hey, Lafayette," I say in what I hope is a non-threatening tone of voice. Judging by the shocked but angry expression on my old friend's face, I'm going to have to fight for any kind of acceptance.

"Answer the question," he replies, his voice slightly hoarse from anger. Okay, so this may be harder than I thought. I open my mouth to answer him when I'm interrupted by another familiar face appearing in the doorway.

"Lafayette, who's at the-," she cuts off the moment she sees my face, and I suddenly remember that Tara is the scarier one out of the two cousins. I half expect to turn to stone from the icy stare that she is throwing my way. After a beat, I go to speak but I am interrupted once again.

"What the fuck? Where the hell did you come from?" Again, I remind myself to keep my emotions in check, I have other things to worry about before I go into the whole, "Where have you been for the last six years?" conversation.

"Hi, Tara. I need to see Sookie." I can't help but be proud of myself for keeping my voice so calm and steady. There's silence for a moment and I can tell that they're still shocked by my sudden reappearance, making it harder to process what I've just said. Tara is the first to catch up.

"Well she doesn't need to see you! She doesn't need people who abandon her in the middle of the night without so much as a fuckin' note! You can't just come back after all this time and act like not a damn thing has changed! You have no idea-"

"Yes, I do!" I interrupt, letting a glimmer of emotion shine through the shield that I've put up. Although my voice is pleading and passionate, my face is anything but. Instead, every muscle tenses as I realize that it may take a bit of fight to get into this house.

"How…," she begins to question before the sudden realization replaces her confusion, "…oh, shit. That's why you're here, ain't it? You saw?" I nod in response, neither of us needing any words. She crosses her arms over her chest and shifts into a defensive stance. Lafayette is in the same position, but seems to have relaxed more since he first saw me.

"Well, I don't give a shit! I don't care what you saw, you're not welcome here anymore!" I can feel things beginning to fall out of control, something that usually happens when Tara's temper is involved.

"Look, I know what I did was fucked up, but I had my reasons. I don't expect you to understand that right now, or ever, but I need to talk to Sookie. Please." Usually, I'm above begging, but I need to get into that house. If I can just convince her to let me in, then maybe I can convince her that I'm not a completely horrible person. My hopes are dashed when she doesn't relax from her defensive position, but seems to grow even more protective. She opens her mouth to speak before she is interrupted.

"Come in." My head snaps to the side as I switch my gaze to Lafayette. He still looks guarded and slightly upset, but now he is standing off to the side, giving me space to enter. I am shocked to say the least. I was almost one hundred percent positive that it would take longer than this to convince either one of them to let me in.

However, Tara is not willing to give up so easily. "What? No! Lafayette, what the fu-"

"Shut up!" interrupted Lafayette, "It's not like we's inviting her back in our life…yet. Besides, Gran woulda let her in."

Fortunately, Tara doesn't argue further as she begrudgingly steps to the side to let me pass. It takes me a minute to process the new development before I make a move to cross the threshold, careful to not touch either one of them. The last thing I need is an angry outburst because of some unwanted contact.

A wave of memories suddenly wash over me as I hesitantly step into the foyer. I glance around at the walls decorated with old and new family photos, and I notice that not one thing has changed. I can't stop the small smile that breaks out on my face. I turn to head upstairs, assuming that's where Sookie is, when a large hand suddenly grips my upper arm. I whip my head around to see Lafayette staring down at me.

"She's sleepin'," he says, "and she won't be up for awhile."

I shake off his hand before taking one more glance at the staircase. Part of me wants to sprint up those steps and shake Sookie awake so that I can get away from the terrible two. However, deep down inside I know that Sookie needs her peace now more than ever. Especially since peace is so rare for Sookie. I turn back to Lafayette only to find that he isn't where he was standing just a moment again. I hear voices coming from the kitchen and go to investigate. There, I find Lafayette and Tara cleaning up after what I assume was a mourning gathering. I look around the room and notice that the kitchen table is cluttered with barely touched casseroles and jellos. Well, I guess nothing says 'I'm sorry for your loss' quite like a big fat tuna casserole.

"Do ya'll need any help?" I offer, suddenly feeling the urge to busy myself. Neither of them stop what they're doing, but at least Lafayette has the courtesy to grunt a negative in my direction. I sigh and then turn to leave before Tara's voice stops me in my tracks.

"But you can tell us where the hell you've been for the last six years." I turn to see Tara, standing with her hands on her hips, a mix of anger and determination etched on her face. Lafayette stops and turns his attention towards us, obviously interested in my response. I glance back and forth between the two of them before I answer.

"I was traveling."

"Yeah, we got that much from the one letter that you sent that first year. You, know? The one where you told us that you up and got married to that good for nothing piece of shit," she says. I can't help but crack a small smile at the end of her statement. She's completely right.

"Believe me when I tell you, that was the biggest mistake I have ever made," I reply, settling into one of the kitchen chairs.

"So what happened to that delicious hubby a yours?" asked Lafayette, as he walked over to the table and picked up another casserole dish, heading for the sink.

"Fuck if I know. I divorced his ass after a year of being on the road. Turns out he had a whore in just about every state we visited," I say, my voice taking on a bored tone.

"Can't say I'm surprised. He always was a cheater and I remember telling you that more than a few times," says Tara as she sits down across from me. She's giving me a pointed stare that just screams 'I told you so.' I sigh, sagging slightly in my seat.

"I know, but I wasn't exactly stable back then. I wasn't listening to anybody."

"Don't I know it. You always was a stubborn bitch," says Lafayette as he continues working on the dish.

I smirk up at him before saying, "Yup. And that's one thing that's not changing anytime soon."

"You haven't answered the question."

My attention is brought back to Tara and her hard stare.

"We know that you went off around the country with that stupid boy for the first year. But what about after that? You just disappeared. No letter, phone calls. Nothin.' Just about broke Gran and Sookie's hearts." I am silent for a moment as I let the guilt consume me once again. When I speak my voice is thicker than before.

"I am not going to pretend like what I did didn't hurt anybody. I know it did. I just… I did what I had to at the time. I did what I needed to do," I say, studying the intricate design of Gran's tablecloth.

"Well, now that's not fucking cryptic at all!" yells Tara as she suddenly stands from the table. I look up at her passively, before leaning back in my chair.

"Calm down, hooker and get back to work. She ain't gonna tell us anything right now," says Lafayette, picking up a dish of some jello-like substance and holding it out towards me.

"You can start with the jellos." I nod, taking the dish from his hands and walking towards the sink to dump the contents down the garbage disposal.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

By the time the sun begins to go down, Tara, Lafayette and I are busy cleaning up the living room. There have been a few conversations here and there between Tara and Lafayette, but I have opted to stay quiet. During this time, I have grown more and more nervous about seeing Sookie again. She's sweet, but fierce and the girl can hold a major grudge if she puts her mind to it. She was always quick to forgive the ones she loves, but many things can change in six years, including a person's willingness to forgive. Lord knows I don't deserve it. I shake off the uncertainty and go to reach for the broom.

I am just about to begin sweeping the hallway when I feel that familiar tug on my mind. My surroundings blur together as images flash before my eyes, my vision coming to focus. Suddenly, I see Sookie lying in bed, sleeping peacefully. But what grabs my attention is the pale, good-looking man standing off to the side, gazing down at her. The vision fades as I return to the dark hallway. I shake my head in confusion. The vision was strange, with no real warning attached to it, but that did happen on occasion. Sometimes, my visions were quite mundane, only consisting of small details. But this one shared a very curious detail with me. I walked back into the living room to find Tara and Lafayette.

"Does Sookie know a vampire?" I blurt out as I enter the room. They both stop what they're doing and look at me. But before they have a chance to answer, the front door slams open and I feel a strong gust of wind shoot through the room. I instantly know what caused this strange occurrence. Vampire.

Tara and Lafayette must've seen the vampire run up the stairs because that was the direction in which they took off after a few seconds, with me following close behind. As we reached Sookie's room, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw who was with her. It was the man from my vision and he was currently shaking Sookie's shoulders, repeating her name over and over. After a few moments, Sookie slowly wakes up and looks up at the vampire, confused. I notice that he looks relieved before telling Sookie to go back to sleep and that he wasn't going anywhere. She turns back over to her side while clutching the vampire's arm, and quickly falls back into a deep slumber, never noticing the other three people in the room. The three of us stand there awkwardly for a moment before we back out of the open door, Lafayette closing it quietly behind us.

Once we return to the living room, I collapse onto the couch, completely bewildered by what just happened. Sookie and a… vampire? Well, I'll be damned. At least five minutes go by before I turn towards Tara and Lafayette, who are both sitting on the loveseat opposite me.

"Who was that?" I ask. However, before either of them can answer, a deep voice rings out from somewhere behind me.

"Bill Compton." I stand up immediately and turn towards the voice to find the vampire standing in the foyer at the bottom of the staircase. "I am Bill Compton," he says, walking closer to where I'm standing.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Evalin Gibson, an old friends of Sookie's. How do you know her?"

"We are…friends," he replies skeptically. I nod stiffly, suddenly on guard around this Bill Compton.

"Was there something wrong?" I ask, motioning upstairs. He shakes his head and a small smile appears on his face.

"No. I thought Sookie was in trouble but it was just a nightmare."

"Well, either way, it's good to know that Sookie has someone to protect her. Especially at a time like this."

He nods slowly, looking at me curiously.

"Can I get you some Tru Blood?" asks Tara, coming to stand next to me. Bill seems surprised by the offer, but nods anyways.

When Tara returns with the bottle, Bill accepts it graciously before announcing that he's going to go and wait outside. He then proceeds to stand in the middle of the yard, staring at what I assume is Sookie's bedroom window. Tara watches him through the living room window.

"You think they're capable of lovin' a person?" she asks after a minute or so goes by. Both Lafayette and I come to stand beside her.

"Who knows what they're capable of," Lafayette replies.

"They are," I say, looking at Bill. "Their hearts may not beat anymore, but there's love there. At least for him there is."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I awake the next morning with the unforgiving sun shining brightly in my eyes. I sit up slowly, shielding the powerful rays and wince, rubbing my stiff neck. I had opted to sleep on the couch last night, feeling uncomfortable with staying in my old room, and now I was paying for it. Once my eyes adjust to the brightness, I pull my cell phone from the back pocket of my jeans to check the time. The small digital clock tells me that it's 8:09 AM, and that I have several missed calls. I groan, regretting my decision to switch my phone to silent yesterday. Oh well, it's too late to call back now anyways. I slide the phone back into my pocket and stand up, stretching my tight muscles. I walk into the kitchen and begin the process of making a pot of coffee, needing something to wake me up. As I wait for the pot to fill up, I sit at the table, resting my head in my hands, exhausted.

My head shoots up when I hear soft footsteps in front of me, and I suddenly freeze when I see Sookie standing there, looking just as shocked as I am nervous.

"I must still be dreamin' 'cause I know I'm not seein' what I think I'm seein'," she says, slowly approaching the table.

"Hey, Sook," I say with a small smile.

"Evie? Wha…How…Whe…" she stutters out before shaking her head. "Why are you here? And, where did you come from?"

I hesitantly stand up from the table and walk closer to her. "I saw what happened to Gran and I just…I needed to be here. I'm sorry if-"

"You saw?" she yells. "Why didn't you call? Why didn't you warn us?" she asks, shooting an accusatory look in my direction.

"I did call! But I guess I was too late 'cause nobody answered," I reply, looking at the floor.

"So why did you come back? Its been six years and not even a word. So, now what?" she asks, crossing her arms and pacing to the other side of the room.

"I figured I owed it to Gran to come back and make things right," I say, turning to face her.

"Well it's too late for that! She's dead! You missed your chance." Tears instantly come to my eyes at her harsh words. Even though I had already come to terms with the consequences of my actions, hearing Sookie reaffirm them made it one hundred times worse. Before I have the chance to pull myself together, a single tear falls form my eye.

"You don't think I know that? You don't think it's the only thing I've been able to think about since I had that horrible vision? Well, I know! I know that what I did hurt Gran and that I abandoned her and everybody here. And I know I don't deserve it but I need a chance to make things right. I'm here to pay my respects to the only person, besides my daddy, who has ever loved me, no questions asked." By the time I finish, tears are pouring out of my eyes as if they were fountains. I vigorously wipe them away. Sookie takes a calming breath before speaking again.

"Lets just calm down, okay? Before anything else, you have to tell me everything," she says, sitting down at the table.

"About what?" I ask hesitantly.

"About why you left, where you went and why you haven't contacted any of us in six years. Now sit down, I have a feeling this is gonna be a long story," she says motioning to the seat in front of her. I sit down and lean my elbows on the table, finally surrendering. If there's anyone who needs to hear this it's Sookie.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Why did you leave?"

"I was lonely, angry and stupid. You know that after everything that happened, I wasn't really handling things well and I was pushing everyone away. For awhile there, you, Tara, Lafayette, Jason and Gran were the only people I even talked to anymore. I just had so much going on inside me and it felt like I was being pulled in every direction at once. But then I met Josh and he made all of that go away. He understood me, so I clung to him.

"I was just a stupid girl. A stupid girl who let a stupid boy become her whole world and convince her that no one would love her as much as he did. He convinced me that I was too messed up for anyone to understand me like he did. So when he asked me to run away with him after graduation, I said yes."

"So, you ran away because you were lonely? I don't understand. We were best friends and we lived in the same house. You didn't seem angry or upset usually. I mean you had your moments, but… And Gran was always there for you, too. And Tara, Lafayette…"

"It wasn't enough," I say quietly. "I know how horrible that sounds, but that's how my fucked up brain worked back then. Please don't ask me to explain." She nods her head and I go on with my story.

"So after graduation, we packed up and left in the middle of the night. He told me that we couldn't tell anyone because they would try and stop us and that they wouldn't understand the depth of our love. Anyways, we were married two days later in a small courthouse in Tennessee. Not very romantic. After that, we just traveled around the country. We wanted the feel of something different after living in such a small town."

"I remember you mentioning the traveling part in your letter. I remember it was almost a year after you left and I was so thankful to see your handwriting that I cried. After so long without a word I thought maybe you had been killed. You sounded different though, in your letter. I could tell that something wasn't right. You had Gran worried for months after that."

"I wrote that letter a few weeks before I left Josh. That son of a bitch had been cheatin' on me for awhile, but I just didn't want to admit that I had thrown my life away for nothing."

"I knew he-," she starts but I am quick to interrupt her.

"Yeah, I knew too. I was just too caught up in the fact that someone actually wanted to be with me to notice."

"Well, I would say that I'm sorry, but I'm really not. I'm happy things didn't work out between you guys." I laugh softly at her words.

"Yeah, me too."

"So after you left him, why didn't you come home? Where did you go for five years?"

"I did come home. Or at least I was on my way, but things didn't work out the way I planned. When I left Josh, I also left the car and the money. I only left with enough for a bus ticket to get back home, but it turns out I only had enough to get to Dallas, Texas."

"Dallas?" asks Sookie. "Where were you comin' from?"

"California," I answer with a shrug.

"Wow. So, what happened in Dallas?"

"Well, I ran into some…troublesome characters who didn't know how to treat a lady. That was some scary shit, I've gotta tell you, but I got out of it with only a few bumps and bruises." Sookie's eyes widen after that.

"How come you didn't see it coming in a vision?" she asks.

"You know how my visions are Sook. I can't control what I see," I reply. "Anyways, after that I met someone who was kind enough to offer me a job and I accepted. I planned on using the money to get home, but the longer I stayed, the more afraid I became. I just felt so guilty for leaving the way I did, especially after everything that Gran had done for me. After awhile, I convinced myself that I wasn't missed and that you were all better off without me."

"That couldn't be any further from the truth. At least for me it wasn't. I missed you everyday," says Sookie. A genuine smile breaks out on my face when she tells me this.

"Eventually, I built a life for myself in Dallas, so I just stayed there. For the first time in my life, I was leading a life I could be proud of and I was afraid that if I dwelled on the past and the people in it, I would go back to being the old Evie." There are a few moments filled with nothing but silence before Sookie speaks up.

"Is that it?" she asks. I look up at her and nod.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's it."

"I'm not gonna act like what you did was okay, 'cause it wasn't. It was hurtful and you put all of us through the worst kind of worry," Sookie says, sitting up straighter in her chair. I cringe slightly, not liking the turn that this conversation has taken.

"But I understand why you did it now. I'm sorry that you felt like you couldn't come home, but you can always come home. And I don't care what you're new life in Dallas is like, this will always be your home. Gran would've wanted it that way." I can see the tears shining in her eyes as she mentions Gran's name, but she never lets them fall. Instead she grasps my hand from across the table and smiles at me. I return it whole-heartedly.

_Please, please, please review!_


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer__: I do NOT own True Blood. I only own Evie and any other character that you don't recognize_

**Chapter 2**

I try to focus on the lyrics as one of Gran's friends sings at the podium, but I can't really concentrate on anything since I am still caught up in the whirlwind that this week has brought. Most of my time has been spent with Sookie or Tara while we made the arrangements for the funeral. Luckily, Gran had everything planned out to a tee, making the process as stress free as possible.

It was such a beautiful day, the exact kind of day that Gran would have loved, even if the thick Louisiana heat was stifling.

I recognize most of the people who are in attendance, most of them I've know my whole life. Seeing these people again is one of the strangest parts about being back in Bon Temps. The first time I had left the house to go into town, I had gone to Merlotte's to pick up some takeout for Sookie and I. The moment I had stepped into room, the entire place had gone silent. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at me, and I had begun to feel like part circus freak and part ghost. They were all looking at me like I wasn't real, and for the briefest of moments I didn't feel real. That was the first time I realized I was now a stranger in my hometown.

I look to my left to glance at Sookie. She looks about the same as she has since my return.

Numb.

She's been running around all week, pulling together all of the funeral arrangements, going so fast so that she won't feel a thing. Acting very un-Sookie-like. Sookie has always been an emotional person. She's always the first to laugh, the first to yell, the first to cry. This stoic persona has begun to worry me. I'm not sure if it's because she feels the need to be strong for us, or if it's because she hasn't quite recovered from the shock, but regardless of the reason, I offer her my silent support by lightly squeezing her hand. I feel her squeeze back, her gaze remaining straight ahead.

As for me, it isn't time to mourn yet. Not until I find and then punish the person who did this.

I'm about to turn my attention back to the service when I catch a glimpse of Jason Stackhouse.

He looks like shit, for lack of a better word.

He's sweating like a pig, he's breathing heavily, and he can't seem to stay still. Also, his hair isn't combed and his suit is a mess. Gran would be giving him a good tongue lashing right about now if she could.

Before I left, Jason and I were pretty close, almost as close as Sookie and I were. When I was younger, I used to have this monster crush on him, but then again, what girl in this town didn't? As I got older, I got over my little crush once I realized he would only ever see me as a little sister, and I was fine with that. It was nice having a sort of protector to watch over me when I needed it.

Jason and I were able to confide in each other before I left. He's one of the only people who knows about my ability, and he once told me that I was the only person that he felt he could be completely honest with without having to worry about any harsh judgment. Things have obviously changed since then.

Since I've been back, I've tried on numerous occasions to talk to Jason, just to see how he's been handling Gran's death. However, he's been doing a very good job at making himself scarce. I can't say I blame him though. If I were him, I'd be lying low too.

I return my focus to the service just as the woman is finishing her song. The soft notes are almost drowned out by Terry Bellefleur's violent sobs, however. As the weeping woman steps down, the reverend takes his place at the podium and begins speaking.

"Lord, we gather here today to remember the life of Adele Stackhouse…"

I am distracted from the speech when I feel Sookie squeeze my hand with a painful force. I wince before looking over at my friend. However, her attention is focused to her far left. When I finally see what has her so distressed, I return her painful grip.

Uncle Bartlett.

When I see the old man roll up beside Jason, I can't help the anger that consumes me. That disgusting pedophile doesn't deserve to be within a hundred miles of here.

"Uncle Bartlett, what are you doing here?" Sookie finally asks.

"She was my sister," the old man croaks out. I scoff at his words. Gran would likely ring his neck if she saw him this close to Sookie.

"You haven't been apart of this family in a long time," is Sookie's reply. Jason defends Uncle Bartlett and I'm extremely close to losing it when the reverend gets our attention. It seems that it is time for Sookie to say her final words. I give her hand one last squeeze before she stands and makes her way to the podium. She unfolds a piece of paper, takes a deep breath, and begins.

"Adele Stackhouse was everything to me…"

As Sookie continues her speech, I can feel the tears begin to form behind my eyes and I have to take a deep breath in order to keep myself together. When I notice that Sookie is no longer speaking, my sadness quickly turns into worry. Sookie's eyes are darting around the crowd and I can see the first signs of anger begin to peak through her calm exterior. Needless to say, I'm not completely surprised when that anger finally breaks through.

"SHUT UP! JUST ALL OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

While I want nothing more than to cheer at the top of my lungs, I figure that it would be slightly inappropriate. Instead I remain as still as possible as everyone tries to overcome the shock from Sookie's outburst. Suddenly, Sookie violently crumbles up her speech before running off into the graveyard. I begin to stand to run after her, but Jason beats me to it. I sit back down, my eyes following after the two figures as they fade into the trees. I'm slightly uneasy about them being alone together, knowing that their last meeting ended with a handprint on Sookie's face. I hope he grovels for her forgiveness, even though he doesn't deserve it. In an attempt to bring order to the service, the reverend clears his throat and returns to the podium.

"Is there anyone who'll care to share a few words?" he asks. There is a long moment of silence before I here a slurred voice shout out from somewhere in the back.

"I got something to say!"

Oh. Shit.

And then, none other than Lettie Mae Thornton drunkenly makes her way to the podium. Lafayette, Tara and I stare after her wide-eyed, completely shocked to see the woman and terrified of what she has to say. Tara tries to stop Lettie Mae, but she just continues on.

"Oh my fucking God girl, this is about to get ugly," I hear Lafayette mumble as the three of us brace ourselves for what is sure to be a memorable speech. Surprisingly enough, her words are gracious and kind, not exactly what you would expect out of someone who only ever showed extreme hate towards the woman she was speaking of. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as her speech went on. Lettie Mae was a vile woman who should probably be in jail.

After Lettie Mae finishes her speech, the reverend ends the service. As everyone begins to mull around and socialize, I stay in my seat, not in the mood to converse with people I haven't seen in six years. Lafayette must not be in a hurry to be social either, as he also stays seated beside me. Tara has already gone off to confront her mother.

"I'd say this was a success. Miss Adele would've loved it," Lafayette drawls out, his usual sarcasm in place.

"How could she not? You know how she just loved Lettie Mae Thornton. And Sookie cussin' out the whole town? Gran would just be so proud," I reply, laughing softly.

"It's about time that Sookie finally told off these fuckers. You know they deserved it."

"Yeah, I guess. It's just Sookie has enough goin' on. The last thing she needs is another round of freak rumors. They may not say them to her face, but she can still hear them," I say. I can't help but worry about the aftermath of Sookie's 'colorful' speech.

"She can handle all that though. She's got to be used to it by now."

"Yeah, maybe," I reply, not entirely convinced.

"I need you! You're all I got!" Lafayette and I both turn to see Tara storming off, looking pissed while Lettie Mae continues to yell after her.

"I better go make sure they don't go killin' each other," Lafayette says before he goes off in Tara's direction.

I am able to sit in silence for a few minutes before I hear a high-pitched voice softly calling my name.

"Evie?" calls the timid voice. I turn to see bright red hair and a nervous expression.

"Oh. Hey Arlene," I say, hoping that I sound at least a little bit welcoming. I'm not really in the mood for an interrogation.

"Hey. So…you're back now?" she asks. I reply with a nod.

"For how long?" I open my mouth to answer but quickly find that I don't know what I'm going to say. How long was I back for? Forever? Until I found the murderer?

"Indefinitely," I answer, vaguely.

"Oh, well that's such good news. We've all missed you sweetie," Arlene says as she lays a hand on mine which are currently folded in my lap. I try to hold in my scoff, but some things just can't be done.

"Yeah, I'm sure you did. I guess y'all just have a funny was of showin' it."

"Oh don't pay no attention to that. We were just shocked, that's all. I mean it has been a whole six years. And the way you left, all mysterious-like with that-"

Thankfully, she isn't able to finish when a moderately good-looking man approaches us, stealing the red head's attention.

"Hey babe, you ready? We should get back to the babysitter," says the man with a thick Cajun accent. Arlene quickly stands and attaches herself to the man's side.

"Oh honey! I wantchu to meet somebody! This is Evie Gibson. She grew up here in Bon Temps. Evie, this is my boyfriend, Rene Lenier." Rene smiles softly and offers his hand for me to shake.

"It's good to finally meet you miss. I was startin' to think you didn't exist."

"Well, here I am. And it's nice to meet you too," I reply, giving him a friendly handshake. My smile quickly fades, however, when I feel a cold chill go through me. I quickly drop Rene's hand, and he doesn't seem to notice my strange behavior.

"Well, better be off. Can't keep the babysitter waitin'! It was so good seein' you again Evie. I just wish it wasn't because of such horrible circumstances," Arlene says as she throws her arms around me, enveloping me in a tight hug. I lightly tap her back, still not able to come to my senses. When she releases me, I am able to manage a weak smile. As the couple walks away, my eyes are trained on Rene. He seemed nice enough, but I just can't seem to shake that feeling I got when I shook his hand. Maybe I'm just being silly.

Instead of heading to a car, Arlene and Rene join a line that leads to the graveyard's exit. The guests have formed a receiving line. But who's the one doing the receiving? Sookie wouldn't have come back, so that leaves…

I strain my neck to see around the crowd of people and sure enough, I can see Jason shaking hands and accepting condolences. I must've been too distracted to notice that he had come back. Deciding that this could be my chance to get Jason's undivided attention, I decide to wait until the crowd has cleared to finally talk to him.

As I wait, I notice that Jason seems even worse off than before. Before, he just looked like he was uncomfortable. Now, he looks like he's in pain. I guess his conversation with Sookie didn't go as well as he had hoped.

Before long, the line dwindles down to only a few people and before I know it, Jason is already headed over to his truck. I have to run to catch up with him.

"Jason!" I yell, trying to get his attention, but he just keeps walking.

"Jason, stop!" I yell again, this time catching his elbow and halting his movement. He turns to look at me and I am momentarily speechless after I see the look on his face. His expression is twisted into a mixture of extreme sadness and desperation. I don't think I've ever seen Jason like this before.

"What?" he asks in a harsh tone, jolting me out of my stupor.

"I… um… just want to talk. You know? See how you're doin?" I finally blurt out. My anger is quickly fading away and it is quickly replaced with concern for my old friend.

"Well, I ain't got time to talk and I'm doin' just fine," he all but spits his remark in my face before turning away from me. I recover quickly and grab his arm, forcing him to turn around.

"Come on, Jason. You've been avoiding me all week and I just want to talk to you. Maybe you didn't know, but I actually have missed you," I say, pleading with him. Jason doesn't say anything, but he continues to fidget, almost like it's physically impossible for him to stay in one spot.

"Missed me, huh? Well, you have a real shitty way of showing it." I wince slightly at his words. So maybe I should've written more while I was away.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I know I haven't been a great friend, but I'm ready to make up for it. So, please just talk to me. What's goin' on with you? You don't look so good." He takes a deep breath, relaxing a bit, and I do a small internal celebration. My silent celebrating is cut short, however, when Jason pulls away even further than before.

"How do you know something's wrong? Maybe this is just how I act now," he replies, folding his arms over his chest. I chuckle softly.

"That's not-"

"How would you know? It's not like you've been around to actually see for your self! People do a lot of changin' in six years, Evie. I've changed. And, I guess you have too, since the Evie I knew would've never abandoned her family without even a goodbye."

I try to muster up some kind of response, but my mind just goes blank.

"You used to be my friend, Evie. Hell, you might've even been my best friend, but not anymore. I can't be friends with someone I don't even know," he says, walking back towards his truck.

"Jas-"

"No! Let's just leave it at that. I don't know you, and you don't know me," Jason interrupts. Without waiting for a response, he climbs into his truck and slams the door.

I don't wait to watch him drive off. Instead, I quickly turn away and begin walking in the opposite direction, no destination in mind. I don't want to go back to Gran's just yet. Sookie might be there and I figure she could you use some privacy right about now.

Before long, I find myself walking aimlessly through my old hometown, fighting hard against the memories threatening to make their way through. I won't let myself remember, especially after Jason just made it blatantly clear that I wasn't welcome back. I thought I had moved on a long time ago, but now I see that I have only pushed this part of my life aside, and now it was coming back to haunt me.

After an unknown amount of time, I finally stop walking when I begin to recognize my surroundings. This place is so different, yet at the same time, exactly the same. The branches on the trees are overgrown and some of them reach down far enough to touch the tall, dead grass. However, it is the large dilapidated house that grasps my undivided attention. The paint is horribly chipped and there is a thick layer of dirt covering every inch of the building. Some of the shutters have fallen off and the ones that have held on are only connected by a single hinge. The windows are boarded up, and a single sign on the front porch proves my suspicions. Condemned.

I grew up in this house.

When I was little and before my life had turned to shit, this is where I lived with my parents. There are so many wonderful memories attached to this old house, but that happiness is overshadowed by one other memory. One terrifying event…

An intense coldness slivers up my spine as goose bumps appear on my skin, and I feel the familiar tingling in my left should begin. I have to physically shake myself to regain control, to remind myself that it was all in the past. I quickly continue on my way, leaving the house behind me.

I decide that I have had enough reminiscing for one day and head back to Sookie's, hoping that she won't mind my company. After entering through the kitchen, I suddenly halt my movements when I see Sookie, sitting at the table and crying, while eating Gran's pecan pie. Now, I heard about the incident with Mrs. Fortenberry, so I am slightly surprised to see Sookie eating it. I awkwardly stand in the doorway for few more moments before Sookie finally speaks.

"Want some?" she asks tearfully, sniffling slightly. I smile gently in response before grabbing a fork and joining her at the table. As I begin eating, I hold her hand in mine, offering any support that I can give. We sit that way until the very last bite is gone.

After we finish, we hold each other in a long hug before heading up to our rooms. No words were spoken, none were needed.

Sometime later, after the sun has gone down, I am resting on the bed, thinking about how I am going to figure out who the killer is. The only piece of information that I have to work with is that the killer targets women who have "relations" with vampires. Okay, so this may be harder than I thought. Suddenly, I am pulled from my thoughts when I hear the front screen door slam open. I quickly run to my window, hoping to see what caused the commotion. That's when I see Sookie, dressed in a flowing white nightgown, running in the direction of the Compton residence. I can't help but smile at my friend's actions. It's about time she found somebody to love.

As I turn away from the window, I am hit with an oncoming vision. This one is short and abrupt, but the feeling it leaves me with shakes me to my core. I feel as if I have been hit by a truck and it takes me a while to come back to my senses. I stand there motionless for what feels like hours as I try to catch my breath. I can't understand why I am having this reaction. I can feel the terror and longing all the way to my bones. How did one simple image have such an effect on me?

I lay down on the soft bed, hoping to calm my racing heart, but it is no use as the effect of my vision lingers through out the night. I try to sleep but I'm kept awake by two images replaying over and over.

A glowing red sigh that reads: Fangtasia.

And ...

A pair of burning, ice blue eyes.

_Next Chapter: ERIC!_

_Review please! :)_


	4. Author's Note

_I have some bad news…_

_I've come to realize that I am jus not ready to write a full length story like I had planned for Runaway. I just don't have the time or discipline right now. Also, either my True Blood muse has died (I think Sookie may have killed it) or it went on a very long, indefinite sabbatical. I literally have lost all inspiration (and some love) that I had for True Blood. I'm kind of flighty that way._

_Moral of the story is: Runaway is on hiatus and I don't have any plans (as of right now) to finish it. I don't want to say abandoned because I might wake up one day with the sudden urge to finish Eric and Evie's story, but that won't be for a while. _

_I am more than sorry to anybody who is disappointed by this news and I just want all of you to know that your feedback has meant the world to me. Thank you so much. _

_However, if you have any ideas about the story that you want to shoot at me, please do! Just send me a message and who knows, maybe it will open the inspiration floodgates._

_Thanks for the support!_

_Karley_


	5. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer__: I do NOT own True Blood. I only own Evie and any other character that you don't recognize. Sookie and Sam's conversation is from Episode: "Burning House of Love."_

_**__Author's Note__: First of all, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and added this story to your favorites/alerts. It really means so much to me. So as you can tell, I've decided to continue with Runaway and I hope I haven't lost all of my readers because I am going to need feedback more than ever. I can't promise that I'll be updating frequently, but I am writing again so please don't hate me if updates are spread out. __**Also, I've revised the prologue and the first three chapters so you should probably go back and read those**__. I didn't really change anything, just tweaked a few details. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 3**

After a rather restless night of tossing and turning, I was finally able to fall asleep a few hours before sunrise. Every time I felt myself drifting off towards dream land, those ice blue eyes would flash in my mind and a shiver would make its way throughout my body, leaving me wide awake. The worst part of it all was not knowing why this particular vision was effecting me this strongly. I've had much worse in my past. Terrifying visions that would leave me with nightmares for days, but this was different. This vision had scared me, yes, but it had also… thrilled me. I couldn't make sense of it.

Luckily, hours later my body and mind gave into exhaustion and I was finally allowed to rest for the night. Unfortunately, that rest was cut short when I was rudely awakened by the loud voices coming from downstairs. I couldn't bring myself to care what all the commotion was about, especially at this early hour, so I rolled over to my side hoping I would be able to quickly fall asleep again. However, my eyes shot open when I heard the voice of one angry Jason Stackhouse, matched with an equally pissed Sookie. I was still hoping to talk to Jason, especially after what happened at the funeral, so I jumped out of bed and quickly made my way to the bedroom door. As I swung it open, I heard a loud crash followed by a short silence. I only paused for a second before I continued on towards the stairs, but just as I reached the top I saw Jason fly through the front door, slamming it behind him.

When I reached the living room, Sookie was crouched down gathering various silver items and jewelry that had been scattered over the floor.

"Sook? Everything okay? I heard shouting," I said softly, alerting her to my arrival. She jumped slightly before clutching her chest, dropping a necklace in the process.

"Evie! You scared me! Make more noise when you walk, will ya? Geez." I giggled slightly in response, before I motioned to the pile in front of her.

"Sorry. So, what happened here? You and Bill go rob the Bellefleurs last night?"

"No! Just Jason acting like his usual asshole self, is all. How did you know I was with Bill last night?" she asked, looked up at me with curious eyes.

"I heard the front door and saw you running towards the old Compton place… in your night gown. Oh, and those," I replied, pointing at the two marks on her neck. She reached up to cover them. "What's all this?"

"Gran's jewelry and other valuables that Jason was planning on selling. Can you believe him? After what he did! I can't imagine what Gran would think," she said, clearly frustrated by her brother's actions.

"Yeah, he does seem pretty messed up. I wish he would talk to me so that I could figure out what's up with him, but I guess I shouldn't expect everyone to be as forgiving as you," I replied as we carried the items to a nearby table.

"Well, he took it pretty hard when you left. Even harder when we found out that you had gone and married Josh. You know how much Jason hated him. He's just angry and he's been going through some rough patches. Just give it time; I'm sure he'll come around. It is Jason after all, and he was never able to stay mad at you for long," she said, offering me a smile. "Want some breakfast?"

"Yes, I'm starving! Oh, and coffee. I'll definitely be needing some coffee," I said before gracelessly dropping into one of the kitchen chairs. "And over breakfast, you can tell me all about your night with tall, pale and handsome."

Sookie's face instantly lit up before she replied, "Oh Evie it was amazing! Better than amazing! It was perfect! There were candles and a fireplace, and then a tub… And it didn't even hurt! Well, maybe a little at first, but then it just felt so good that it didn't even matter!" I smiled at her excited tone and watched her bounce around the kitchen gathering the necessary tools needed for eggs and toast. "I mean, was that how your first time was?"

I gave out a rather unladylike snort before replying, "Yeah, I wish. But in my defense, I lost my virginity to a sixteen year old, small town boy and you lost yours to a century and a half old vampire. The odds were not set in my favor."

We talked some more about Bill while we ate breakfast since Sookie wasn't able to stay on any other subject for longer than two seconds before bringing the conversation back to her new found love. After a while I began to tune most of it out, making small noises of agreement every now and then, until I heard the word Fangtasia amongst the babble. My head snapped up, my eyes wide.

"What did you just say?" I asked, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Huh? When?"

"Um, Fangtasia. What's that?" I clarified, trying not to seem as interested as I was. Her eyes narrowed as she peered at me over her coffee mug.

"Have you heard a word I just said?"

I shrugged before thinking up a quick excuse, "Sorry, I guess I drifted off. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Uh-huh. Anyways, Fangtasia's that vampire bar out in Shreveport. Bill took me a few days ago so that I could ask about Dawn and Maudette."

"And? Did you find anything?" I asked, urging her to continue.

She shrugged, "Not really. But I only got to ask the owner and the bartender. The bar was raided before Bill and I could get to anyone else."

"Oh," I nodded before taking a small sip of my coffee, "Did they know anything?"

"Kind of, but nothing that I could investigate further," she replied. A few moments of silence passed between us before my curiosity got the better of me. For some reason, Fangtasia was important and I needed to know why without telling Sookie about my vision. For some reason, I wanted to keep this particular one to myself.

"What was it like? Fangtasia, I mean," I asked.

"It was a little cheesy actually. Red and black walls, gothic decorations. Like it was right out of a Dracula movie or somethin'," she said with a small giggle.

"I see. What about the people there?"

"Um, the humans are mostly fangbangers and tourists. Some are even there because of a dare. The vampires are just… well… vampires, I guess. The bartender and the owner were kind of scary though. Why so curious? You want to go to a vampire bar, Evie?"

I scoffed in reply, "No, thanks. I've been to one before and it wasn't really my scene."

"In Dallas?" Sookie asked, eyes full of curiosity. We had all been so consumed by the funeral planning and our grief that my life in Dallas hadn't really been a topic of discussion, to which I was grateful. I wasn't quite ready to explain what I 'd been up to for the past six years.

"Yup. I only went once and that was enough for me," I said, hoping that Sookie wouldn't pry any further. Thankfully, she just slowly nodded and continued to sip on her coffee as we fell into another comfortable silence. Sookie was the first to speak after several minutes.

"I've missed this. Being able to sit in silence with my own thoughts, and only my own thoughts running through my head. It's different with you than with Bill. More comfortable," she said with a relaxed smile on her pretty face. Because of Sookie's telepathy, silence for her is pretty rare, especially when she's in the same room as another person, but she's never been able to "hear" me. As long as we've known each other, Sookie has never been able to hear a single one of my thoughts, something that is comforting to the both of us.

"I've missed this too," I replied, smiling right back.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing with Sookie and catching up on everything I had missed over the past six years. I wasn't surprised to hear that not much had changed in Bon Temps since my speedy departure. In fact, the arrival of Vampire Bill was the most exciting thing to happen since I ran away with the local degenerate. Sookie had more questions about Dallas, but I managed to only tell her small details of my life there, and she didn't pry any further into anything personal.

When she went to work, I was left alone in the quiet house to go over my plan for tonight. I was, of course, planning on visiting this Fangtasia myself since, as I had learned in the past, ignoring my visions was never the smart thing to do. However, because my vision didn't leave me with much direction, I figured I would go to the vampire bar and continue with Sookie's method of questioning its patrons. Okay, so maybe not the best laid out plan, but it was something. And who knows, maybe the environment would trigger another (more informative) vision.

And as for those piercing blue eyes…

Well, I decided to just ignore them for the time being. They were much too distracting.

I was finished getting ready around 8:00 PM and with one last check to make sure I had the directions in my pocket, I was headed out of the house and to my car. Instead of going straight to Fangtasia, I decided that it would be smart to let at least one person know where I was going to be tonight just in case something happened. I was going to a vampire bar after all. So, I drove the short distance to Merlotte's to tell Sookie about my plans for tonight.

Merlotte's was pretty crowed when I walked through the door, and slightly chaotic. I spotted Sookie's bobbing blonde head as she left the kitchen with her arms full of food, so I decided to wait until she had a minute before I told her about my plans. I figured that she would probably have more than a few questions. I walked over to the bar where Sam was working and Arlene's boyfriend Rene was watching the TV.

"Hey, Sam. Rene. How's it going?" I greeted them, sliding on to one of the stools.

"Busy," replied Sam with a slight edge to his voice. "We're short a waitress and Tara decided not to show up, so sorry if I don't really have much time to talk."

"No problem. I just need to have a quick word with Sookie and I'll be out of your hair. I'm just waiting 'til she has a free minute," I replied, ignoring his clipped tone.

"Well, you might be waiting awhile," came his gruff response, to which I decided not to reply to.

"Look, I'm sorry Evalin. I'm just a little stressed is all," he said, offering an apologetic smile.

"That's okay, Sam," I said with a slight wave of my hand. "Actually, if you need some help, I wouldn't mind a job, you know, since I'm back now. I could use some extra money and something to occupy my time." Also, everyone in town came to Merlotte's. Working here might make it easier to find the killer.

"That would just about save my life, and I'm sure Sookie and Arlene will be happy to hear it too. Can you start tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'll be here. And Sam, call me Evie. No one calls me Evalin anymore," I answered with a smile. Before he had a chance to reply, Arlene came rushing over in a whirlwind of red hair and heavy mascara. She came to stand next to Rene who hadn't taken his eyes off of the TV until now.

"Sookie has been with that vampire!" she exclaimed. _Oh great_, I thought. _Sookie really needs to be more careful about who she shares her secrets with. _

"Ah, that's just bar talk," was Rene's response. At least someone wasn't as susceptible to small town gossip as every other Bon Temps resident, even if that someone still gave me a weird feeling whenever I looked directly into his eyes.

"She told me so herself. Oh my Lord! Suppose she gets pregnant! How in the world can she nurse a baby with fangs?"

"Just be her friend. She needs one now more than ever," was Rene's surprisingly sweet reply. I was just about to explain to Arlene that vampires couldn't reproduce (at least in the human way) when I was distracted by Sam's abrupt departure. I looked to see that he was headed for Sookie and watched as he yanked the scarf from her neck and twisted her head to the side, showcasing the bite marks to the entire restaurant.

"Hey, you keep your hands to yourself Sam Merlotte! You have no right to touch me!" she yelled, shoving Sam away from her. By now the pair had the attention of everyone in the room.

"You're a damn fool, you know that?" Sam shouted, clearly angry. I just rolled my eyes. It was obvious that Sam had a thing for Sookie, and while I don't think he has a chance against Bill, manhandling the girl you love in the middle of a bar certainly doesn't help. Apparently, Sookie and I were on the same page.

"What I do on my own time is no concern of yours, or any of y'alls. Yes, I had sex with Bill and since every one of y'all is too chicken to ask, it was great! I enjoyed every second of it. And if you have a problem with that then you can just fire me!" yelled Sookie, before she stormed off to the kitchen, leaving Sam looking like a sad puppy.

I slid off the bar stool and headed over to where he still stood in the middle of the room, patting him roughly on the back.

"Next time, you should call her a whore at the town meeting. That'll really win her heart," I said to him. I headed to the kitchen to talk to Sookie without waiting for Sam's reply.

I found her pacing by the freezer, muttering a few choice phrases under her breath.

"Uh, Sook?" She stopped at the sound of my voice and whirled around to face me.

"Evie! I didn't know you were coming in tonight. Did you, um, see what happened out there?"

"Yes, and Sam's an idiot so don't let him get to you," I replied, walking closer to her. "Anyways, I'm not staying I just needed to come tell you something."

"What's that? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I, uh - Well, my curiosity got the best of me so I decided to go check out that vampire bar you were telling me about," I said.

"By yourself? I don't think that's a good idea, Evie. Why don't you just wait til Bill and I can go with you?" she said, her brown eyes going wide with worry.

"And be the third wheel? Thanks Sookie, but I don't think so. Look, I know you're worried but you don't have to be. I can take care of myself. I just came to tell you, just in case something did happen," I told her, my voice taking on a stern tone. She looked at me for a long moment before her shoulders sagged and she nodded her head.

"Fine, but I am not happy about this. If you are not home by dawn I am calling every police department in Louisiana, got it?"

"Got it," I said, giving her a quick hug and heading out of the restaurant.

The outside of the bar wasn't really what I had been expecting. It was just a typical gray building, nothing about it screamed "vampire." Except, of course, for the familiar bright, red neon sign that read Fangtasia in decorative lettering. That was definitely the sign I saw in my vision.

I parked and got out of my car, looking around at the various characters loitering around the small parking lot. From what I could see, Sookie was right. There were more than a few fangbangers hanging around, smoking cigarettes and gazing adoringly at the occasional passing vampire.

I took a deep breath and put my guard up before walking towards the entrance. As I made my way across the parking lot, several vampires turned towards me with predatory looks in their eyes, but I new better than to give them any attention so I just raised my chin and continued my purposeful stride. When I reached the entrance, I was stopped by a tall, pretty, blonde vampire who looked every bit the part of a vampire seductress.

"I.D. please?" she asked with a long drawl to her words, looking me up and down. I reach into my back pocket and pulled out my I.D. before handing it to her. Her dark blue eyes quickly scanned the card, before returning to my face.

"Evalin Gibson, you are a long way from home. Lost?" she said in a bored tone, but her eyes were curious. I was confused for a moment before I remembered that my I.D. was from Texas and would have my Dallas address printed on it.

"No, just visiting some friends in the area. I'm meeting them here actually," I answered, taking my I.D. as she handed it to me.

"How interesting," she said, without one ounce of sincerity. "You may go in." I nodded quickly and walked around her through the door. Once I was inside I could see why Sookie thought this place was cheesy. Everything from the red walls to the gothic furniture and macabre artwork played into every vampire stereotype out there. There was even a gift shop! I smirked at the large group of tourists mulling over t-shirt purchases. The owner of this place was a genius.

Not knowing what else to do, I headed over to an empty seat at the bar that had a good view of the room. Not to mention, I was going to need just one drink if I was planning on spending my night in a vampire bar. After I settling onto the stool, I turned to scan the room while the bartender was busy helping a customer a few seats down from me.

It's just as Sookie described it. Fangbangers, tourists, vampires. Some were dressed to match the overall décor of the room, and some stuck out like sore thumbs. The music's strong beat resonated around the room as several vampires on pedestals did their supernatural dance, mesmerizing some nearby admirers.

"What can I get you?" I turned around and I was met with the bartender, a vampire with long, stringy black hair, tattoos covering his arms, and chilling dark eyes.

"Jack and diet Coke," I reply, my voice strong despite his intimidating demeanor. He nodded before turning and walking away to make the drink. While I was waiting, I felt a slight vibration on the back of my neck, a feeling I usually get when someone is watching me closely. I tried to ignorant it, assuming that the feeling would pass and that whoever was watching me would move on. However, the feeling only intensified and I felt a strong urge to turn towards the crowd of gyrating bodies.

Nobody stood out to me and I was just about to turn back towards the bar when my eyes caught sight of a stage elevated a couple feet off of the ground. My gaze instantly fell on a pair of long, leather-clad legs that were stretched out lazily in front of a muscular torso also covered in black. My eyes traveled up the tall body before finally reaching the face of the man lounging carelessly in his throne-like chair. His blonde hair hung loose around his face, past a strong jaw to rest on his broad shoulders. As my eyes roamed his handsome face, my breath suddenly caught in my throat and a small choking gasp escaped my lips. I felt a shiver run down my spine as my eyes met his.

Icy, piercing, terrifying blue orbs were staring straight at me.

I vaguely recall the bartender setting my drink down somewhere near my arm, but I couldn't move. My entire body was paralyzed by the stranger's unwavering stare. It must have only lasted ten seconds, but for all I know I could've been standing there for hours.

This man, or vampire as I now noticed him to be, radiated power, and was extremely good-looking. So good-looking, in fact, he seemed practically unreal. If it wasn't for the sudden frown that caused his eyebrows to furrow close together, I would have believed him to be a statue.

A statue sculpted from cold, hard stone.

I came crashing back down to Earth when I heard a familiar voice somewhere to my right. I blinked rapidly and shook my head slightly to clear the haziness from my mind. I looked towards the voice and was shocked to see Jason Stackhouse closely following a dark haired woman who was headed in the direction of the bar's exit. I quickly hopped off of the stool, forgetting my untouched drink, and began forcing my way through the crowd to get to Jason.

"Jason!" I yelled, hoping to get his attention but my voice was drowned out by the loud music. I was only a few feet away from him when I noticed that, thankfully, the woman he was with was human. I was almost close enough to tap him on the shoulder when my movements came to a sudden halt. I stopped just in time to avoid running into the blonde vampire bouncer who had suddenly appeared right in front of me.

"Um, excuse me," I said, moving to walk around her, but she once again moved to block me from walking any further.

"Mr. Northman requests your presence," she drawled, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Who?" I asked in confusion. She rolled her eyes before pointing to a spot behind me. I turned my head to see who she was pointing at and couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath as I once again met the eyes from my vision.

I turned back towards the bouncer and cleared my throat. "You know, I would love to, but I should be getting to my friends," I said, motioning towards the direction that Jason had been heading.

"Mr. Stackhouse has left the premises for the night. Now come with me, he doesn't like to be kept waiting," she said before walking towards the stage. I was so distracted by her knowing Jason that I didn't even notice that I had begun to follow her through the crowd. As we neared the stage, my heart began to pound so hard in my chest that I was sure everyone in the bar could hear it, including the humans. I had to take a few calming breaths to slow my racing pulse.

I couldn't understand why I was so nervous to meet this vampire. Sure, I had a creepy vision featuring his cold, blue eyes that seemed to be able to wipe any coherent thought from my brain, but I had met intimidating people before and had managed just fine then, so I couldn't begin to understand why my body was behaving like a little teenager who just spotted the captain of the football team for the first time.

Before I knew it, we had reached the stairs that led to the stage and I could feel his stare burning into the side of my face as the pretty bouncer urged me onward. I didn't look up to meet his gaze until I was standing directly in front of him. Of course, he was even more gorgeous up close. And his eyes…

"Please, sit," he said, waving towards a small chair to his right. I hesitate slightly before slowly lowering myself into the chair, my entire body tensing under his close watch.

"So, Miss Gibson, what brings you to my bar tonight?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that I felt all the way to my toes.

"Just spending a night out with some friends," I replied, surprising myself with the steadiness of my voice. "I'm sorry. Was there something I could help you with?" I continued, confused as to why I was sitting there in the first place. His lips slowly formed an amused smirk.

"Not yet. Meeting friends, hmm? And where are these friends?" he asked.

"I'm sure they're just running a bit late. You know how long us girls take to get ready," I said, forcing a smile onto my face. He broke eye contact for the first time since I had sat down and turned towards the dance floor.

"I suppose. Now, again Miss Gibson, why are you here? And please, I would appreciate the truth this time," he said, only now his face was stony and void of emotion. I realized that it was pointless to continue on with the lie and resigned myself to telling him the real reason why I came to Fangtasia. My shoulders sagged as I relaxed in my seat.

"I'm here looking for someone. I was—," I'm interrupted by the pretty vampire who, up until now, had been standing silently off to the side.

"Jason Stackhouse?" she inquired, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow. The sitting vampire abruptly turned to face me, his blue eyes taking on a hard edge.

"And why were you looking for Jason Stackhouse?" he asked, shifting his body so that we were closer.

I frowned slightly before answering, "I didn't come here looking for Jason, I just happened to see him. How do you know Jason?"

"Pam here never forgets a face, and it seems that he made quite the impression on her earlier this evening," he replied. "Is he a friend of yours?" he asked, looking at me curiously. I squirmed slightly as I tried to figure out how to answer his question. I would like the answer myself.

"He used to be, a long time ago," I replied honestly.

"And are you familiar with a Sookie Stackhouse?" he asked, slightly tilting his head.

I nodded before replying, "Yeah, she's the one who told me about this place."

"Really," he said.

"There's been another murder in Bon Temps and this one was more…personal, for Sookie and myself. I came to see if anybody here knew of someone showing a special interest in Bon Temps. And since her investigation was cut short, I thought I would have more luck," I said, my nerves fading as I became focused on finding the answers I came to Fangtasia for.

"Well, like I told Miss Stackhouse, any investigation that takes place at this establishment begins and ends with me. I have no new information to share other than what I've already told your friend," he said, a clear note of finality ringing in his voice. I felt the beginning of frustration well up in my chest.

"What about Pam here?" I asked, lifting my gaze to the standing vampire. "Have you heard anything?" It took her a moment to answer, as if she was waiting for Mr. Northman to speak.

"No, I'm afraid not," she said, finally answering. My body slumped in defeat as I realized that I wasn't going to learn anything of value tonight.

I was just about to excuse myself when Mr. Northman asked, "Are you missing Dallas, Miss Gibson?"

"How do you know I live in Dallas?" I asked, trying to remember if I had mentioned it without realizing.

"Your license. Pam remembers more than just faces," he explained. I glance at Pam to see her smirking down at me.

"Oh. Kind of, I guess. I mostly miss a close friend of mine who lives there, but I'm glad to be back home."

A long moment of silence passed before he spoke again, his eyes still trained on my face, "Ge mig din telefon." Before I have a chance to tell him I don't speak Swedish, Pam whips out a cell phone and sets it in his outstretched hand. He quickly types something before handing it to me.

"Type in your phone number. Pam will contact you if we come across any information that you may find useful," he said as I took the phone from his large, pale hand. I contemplate typing in a fake number, but ultimately decide against it. This was obviously a powerful and, most likely, well-connected vampire. The fact that he was even asking to begin with was probably unnecessary; I'm sure he had other ways of obtaining a simple phone number. After I finished entering in my number, I held out the phone for him to take. As he took it from my hand, his fingers lightly brushed against mine, sending a shock of warmth up my arm despite their icy feel. My eyes instantly snapped back to his face and I noticed that his light blue eyes had gone several shades darker. I abruptly pulled my hand back and stood, his dark eyes following my movements.

"Well, I really should be going now. It's getting kind of late and I'm exhausted. Thank you for you help, Mr. Northman," I said, my words coming out rushed. I was almost to the stairs when the sound of his voice stopped me.

"You may call me Eric, Miss Gibson." I turned to face him and nodded in order to acknowledge that I heard him.

"Goodbye, Eric," I said softly, before making my way down the small stairs and heading towards the exit. I reached the door after pushing my way through the crowded dance floor and was just about to head out to the parking lot when I turned to catch one last glimpse of the stage from which I had just vacated. Eric was still sprawled lazily over his throne, speaking with Pam who was now leaning over so that their heads were closer. They seemed to be occupied by their conversation so it surprised me when Eric's eyes snapped up to meet mine. I quickly turned around and walked through the door, hurriedly moving towards my car.

I headed straight back to Sookie's, somehow managing to stay awake at the wheel. My lack of sleep from the night before was finally catching up with. That, and my encounter with Fangtasia's owner had drained every ounce of energy I was holding onto.

Eric Northman.

It was obvious that his eyes were the ones in my vision, but meeting him left me with more questions than answers. Why was I led to Fangtasia, and why was I supposed to meet him? For some reason, I didn't think he had anything to do with the murders, and not just because the killer was so obviously human. Why would a powerful vampire concern himself with two, small town fangbangers and an old woman?

As I passed the 'Welcome to Bon Temps' sign, I was tempted to turn in the direction of Jason's house to see why the hell he was in a vampire bar in the first place when I ultimately decided against it. After all, he wasn't alone when he left the bar.

When I got back to the house, all the lights were off and there was no sign of Sookie. I giggled softly to myself when I figured that she must have been spending the night with Bill again. I was relieved to have the house to myself and headed straight up to the bathroom, planning to soak my tense muscles in a soothing bath.

As I let myself unwind, the gorgeous blonde, intimidating vampire who had asked me to call him by his first name immediately consumed my thoughts. I couldn't understand why this one man had such an effect on me. I'd had several encounters with some very good-looking men in my past, in addition to the vampires that I had also come into contact with, but no one had ever made me feel the way that Eric did with merely a meeting of eyes across a crowded bar. He thrilled me and terrified me at the same time, and I was not accustomed to having such strong reactions to virtual strangers.

I wasn't sure when it would happen, or if it ever would, but I was absolutely not looking forward to seeing Eric Northman again.

Definitely, not.

Even in my sleep deprived state I couldn't quite convince myself of that.

_**__AN__: So, what do you think? I would especially like to know what you thought of Eric. He was a little tough to write. So, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I haven't added any description on Evie's appearance and that's because it keeps changing. I have some actresses in mind who I imagine would play Evie if she were an actual character on the show, but I would really like to know if you guys have anyone in mind. I'm open to suggestions!_

_Reviews keep me going!_


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